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This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

In phonetics, vowel roundedness is the amount of rounding in the lips during the articulation of a vowel. It is labialization of a vowel. When a rounded vowel is pronounced, the lips form a circular opening, and unrounded vowels are pronounced with the lips relaxed. In most languages, front vowels tend to be unrounded, and back vowels tend to be rounded. However, some languages, such as French, German and Icelandic, distinguish rounded and unrounded front vowels of the same height (degree of openness), and others, like Vietnamese and Turkish, distinguishes rounded and unrounded back vowels of the same height. Alekano is unusual in having only unrounded vowels.[1]

In the International Phonetic Alphabet vowel chart, rounded vowels are the ones that appear on the right in each pair of vowels. There are also diacritics, U+0339 ◌̹ COMBINING RIGHT HALF RING BELOW and U+031C ◌̜ COMBINING LEFT HALF RING BELOW, to indicate greater and lesser degrees of rounding, respectively. Thus [o̜] has less rounding than cardinal [o], and [o̹] has more (closer to the rounding of cardinal [u]). These diacritics can also be used with unrounded vowels: [ɛ̜] is more spread than cardinal [ɛ], and [ɯ̹] is less spread than cardinal [ɯ].[2]

Typology

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Example 1
Protruded rounding
Compressed rounding
Example 2
Protruded rounding
Compressed rounding

There are two types of vowel rounding: protrusion and compression.[3][4][5] In protruded rounding, the corners of the mouth are drawn together and the lips protrude like a tube, with their inner surface visible. In compressed rounding, the corners of the mouth are drawn together, but the lips are also drawn together horizontally ("compressed") and do not protrude, with only their outer surface visible. That is, in protruded vowels the inner surfaces of the lips form the opening (thus the alternate term endolabial), whereas in compressed vowels it is the margins of the lips which form the opening (thus exolabial). Catford (1982, p. 172) observes that back and central rounded vowels, such as German /o/ and /u/, are typically protruded, whereas front rounded vowels such as German /ø/ and /y/ are typically compressed. Back or central compressed vowels and front protruded vowels are uncommon,[6] and a contrast between the two types has been found to be phonemic in only one instance.[7]

There are no dedicated IPA diacritics to represent the distinction, but the superscript IPA letter ⟨◌ᵝ⟩ or ⟨◌ᶹ⟩ can be used for compression[8] and ⟨◌ʷ⟩ for protrusion. Compressed vowels may be pronounced either with the corners of the mouth drawn in, by some definitions rounded, or with the corners spread and, by the same definitions, unrounded. The distinction may be transcribed ⟨ʉᵝ uᵝ⟩ vs ⟨ɨᵝ ɯᵝ⟩ (or ⟨ʉᶹ uᶹ⟩ vs ⟨ɨᶹ ɯᶹ⟩).[9]

The distinction between protruded [u] and compressed [y] holds for the semivowels [w] and [ɥ] as well as labialization. In Akan, for example, the [ɥ] is compressed, as are labio-palatalized consonants as in Twi [tɕᶣi̘] "Twi" and adwuma [adʑᶣu̘ma] "work", whereas [w] and simply labialized consonants are protruded.[10] In Japanese, the /w/ is compressed rather than protruded, paralleling the Japanese /u/. The distinction applies marginally to other consonants. In Southern Teke, the sole language reported to have a phonemic /ɱ/, the labiodental sound is "accompanied by strong protrusion of both lips",[11] whereas the [ɱ] found as an allophone of /m/ before /f, v/ in languages such as English is not protruded, as the lip contacts the teeth along its upper or outer edge. Also, in at least one account of speech acquisition, a child's pronunciation of clown involves a lateral [f] with the upper teeth contacting the upper-outer edge of the lip, but in crown, a non-lateral [f] is pronounced with the teeth contacting the inner surface of the protruded lower lip.[12]

Some vowels transcribed with rounded IPA letters may not be rounded at all. An example is /ɒ/, the vowel of lot, which in Received Pronunciation has very little if any rounding of the lips. The "throaty" sound of the vowel is instead accomplished with sulcalization, a furrowing of the back of the tongue also found in /ɜː/, the vowel of nurse.[13]

It is possible to mimic the acoustic effect of rounded vowels by narrowing the cheeks, so-called "cheek rounding", which is inherent in back protruded (but not front compressed) vowels. The technique is used by ventriloquists to mask the visible rounding of back vowels like [u].[14] It is not clear if it is used by languages with rounded vowels that do not use visible rounding.

The chart below lists all of the attested vowel position triads which contain both compressed and protruded rounding:

Unrounded, compressed and protruded vowels
Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
Semivowel j ɥ ɥʷ j̈ ɥ̈ ẅ[15][16] ɰ wᵝ w
Close i y yʷ ɨ ÿ ʉ[17] ɯ uᵝ u
Near-close ɪ ʏ ʏʷ ɪ̈ ʏ̈ ʊ̈ ɯ̽ ʊᵝ ʊ
Close-mid e ø øʷ ɘ ø̈ ɵ ɤ oᵝ o
Mid e̞ ø̞ ø̞ʷ
Open-mid ɛ œ œʷ

Spread and neutral

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The lip position of unrounded vowels may be classified into two groups: spread and neutral. Front vowels are usually pronounced with the lips spread, and the spreading becomes more significant as the height of the vowel increases.[18] Open vowels are often neutral, i.e. neither rounded nor spread, because the open jaw allows for limited rounding or spreading of the lips.[19] This is reflected in the IPA's definition of the cardinal [a], which is unrounded yet not spread either.[20]

Labialization

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Protruded rounding is the vocalic equivalent of consonantal labialization. Thus, rounded vowels and labialized consonants affect one another by phonetic assimilation: Rounded vowels labialize consonants, and labialized consonants round vowels.

In many languages, such effects are minor phonetic detail, but in others, they become significant. For example, in Standard Chinese, the vowel /ɔ/ is pronounced [u̯ɔ] after labial consonants,[citation needed] an allophonic effect that is so important that it is encoded in pinyin transliteration: alveolar /tu̯ɔ˥/ [twó] (多; duō) 'many' vs. labial /pu̯ɔ˥/ [pwó] (波; bō) 'wave'. In Vietnamese, the opposite assimilation takes place: velar codas /k/ and /ŋ/ are pronounced as labialized [kʷ] and [ŋʷ] or even labial-velar [kp] and [ŋm], after the rounded vowels /u/ and /o/.[citation needed]

In the Northwest Caucasian languages of the Caucasus and the Sepik languages of Papua New Guinea, historically rounded vowels have become unrounded, with the rounding being taken up by the consonant. Thus, Sepik [ku] and [ko] are phonemically /kwɨ/ and /kwə/.[citation needed] In the extinct Ubykh, [ku] and [ko] were phonemically /kʷə/ and /kʷa/.[citation needed]

A few ancient Indo-European languages like Latin had labialized velar consonants.[21]

English

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Vowel pairs differentiated by roundedness can be found in some British dialects (such as the Cardiff dialect, Geordie and Port Talbot English) as well as in General South African English. They involve a contrastive pair of close-mid vowels, with the unrounded vowel being either SQUARE /ɛər/ or a monophthongal FACE /eɪ/ and the rounded counterpart being NURSE /ɜːr/. Contrasts based on roundedness are rarely categorical in English and they may be enhanced by additional differences in height, backness or diphthongization.[22][23][24][25]

FACE, SQUARE and NURSE in some dialects
Accent Vowel Notes
FACE SQUARE NURSE
Cardiff[26] [ei] [eː] [øː] SQUARE may be open-mid [ɛː].[27]
General SAE[24] [eɪ] [eː] [øː]
Geordie[25] [eː] [ɛː] [øː] FACE may be diphthongal [ɪə ~ eɪ], whereas
NURSE may be back [ɔː] or unrounded [ɪː ~ ɜː].[25][28]
Port Talbot[23] [eː] [ɛː] [øː] The accent does not feature the pane–pain merger.[29]

In addition, contemporary Standard Southern British English as well as Western Pennsylvania English contrast STRUT with LOT mostly by rounding. An example of a minimal pairs is nut vs. not. The vowels are open-mid [ʌ, ɔ] in the former dialect and open [ɑ, ɒ] in the latter. In Western Pennsylvania English, the LOT class also includes the THOUGHT class (see cot-caught merger) and the PALM one (see father-bother merger). In addition, LOT may be longer than STRUT due to its being a free vowel: [ɒː]. In SSBE, these are all distinct and LOT is a checked vowel. In Scottish English, the two vowels tend to be realized as [ʌ] and [ɔ], respectively. The latter often includes the THOUGHT class as the cot-caught merger is common in Scotland. If THOUGHT is distinct, it is realized as [ɔ], whereas LOT is lowered to [ɒ] or raised to [o̞]. This means that while nought [nɔʔ] contrasts with nut [nʌʔ] by rounding, not may have a different vowel [nɒʔ ~ no̞ʔ]. In addition, all three vowels are short in Scotland (see Scottish vowel length rule), unless followed by a voiced fricative where THOUGHT (and LOT, if they are merged) is long, as in England.[30][31][32]

STRUT, LOT and THOUGHT in some dialects
Accent Vowel Notes
STRUT LOT THOUGHT
Scottish English[30] [ʌ] [ɔ(ː) ~ ɒ ~ o̞] [ɔ(ː)] LOT often merges with THOUGHT.
Standard Southern British English[32] [ʌ] [ɔ] [o̞ː]
Western Pennsylvania English[31] [ɑ] [ɒ(ː)] The LOT class also includes THOUGHT and PALM.

General South African English is unique among accents of English in that it can feature up to three front rounded vowels, with two of them having unrounded counterparts.[24]

Long front vowels in General SAE[33]
Height Unr. vowel Rnd. vowel Notes
lexical set realization lexical set realization
Close FLEECE [iː] GOOSE [yː] GOOSE may be central [ʉː].
Close-mid SQUARE [eː] NURSE [øː]
Open-mid (unpaired) GOAT [œː] GOAT may be diphthongal [œɤ̈].

The potential contrast between the close-mid [øː] and the open-mid [œː] is hard to perceive by outsiders, making utterances such as the total onslaught [ðə ˈtœːtl̩ ˈɒnsloːt] sound almost like the turtle onslaught [ðə ˈtøːtl̩ ˈɒnsloːt].[34]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Roundedness

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Roundedness is a fundamental phonetic feature in that describes the protrusion or rounding of the during the articulation of vowels, contrasting with unrounded vowels where the lips are spread or neutral. This lip configuration influences the acoustic quality of the sound and is one of the primary parameters—alongside tongue height and backness—used to classify vowels in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Rounded vowels are common in many languages, such as the high back rounded in English "" or the mid front rounded [ø] in French "peu," while unrounded vowels include the high front in "beat." In vowel , roundedness contributes to the perceptual and articulatory distinctions among vowel inventories across languages, with back vowels typically rounded and front vowels usually unrounded in English, though exceptions like front rounded vowels occur in languages such as German, French, and Turkish. Linguists measure roundedness through articulatory parameters like lip and protrusion, which can vary in degree— from compressed in some Asian languages to protruded in others— and affect frequencies in acoustic analysis. For instance, lowers the second (F2), creating a more compact spectral profile compared to unrounded counterparts. Phonologically, roundedness plays a role in processes like , where it spreads across syllables, as seen in Turkish, where high vowels harmonize in rounding. This feature can also interact with , leading to labialized (rounded) consonants in some languages, though it is predominantly a vowel property. Cross-linguistically, the presence of front rounded vowels is relatively rare and often considered marked, influencing and phonological typology.

Fundamentals

Definition

Roundedness in refers to the degree of lip rounding or protrusion involved in the articulation of , where the lips form a circular or pursed shape to modify the oral cavity's , in contrast to unrounded vowels produced with spread or neutral lip positions. This feature primarily affects vowel quality by altering the acoustic output through changes in the vocal tract configuration. As a secondary articulatory feature, roundedness functions as a form of that can co-occur with primary tongue positions, creating contrasts such as rounded versus unrounded pairs in numerous languages, where it serves to distinguish meaning through binary oppositions. The term "" emerged in 19th-century phonetic studies, formalized by scholars including , who described "round" or labialized s in his 1881 work Sounds and Their Relations as involving lip protrusion combined with tongue positioning. This concept evolved from earlier descriptions in Henry Sweet's A Handbook of (1877), where rounding was noted as a key modifier of sounds, influencing subsequent classifications. In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), rounded vowels are represented on the right side of the vowel trapezium to indicate their typical association with back tongue positions, though front rounded vowels are also accommodated via specific symbols. Variations in rounding degree are denoted using diacritics, such as the right half-ring ◌̹ for increased or advanced rounding and the left half-ring ◌̜ for decreased or retracted rounding, allowing precise transcription of subtle articulatory differences.

Articulatory Aspects

Roundedness in vowel articulation primarily involves the as the key articulators, where the contracts to narrow the oral aperture into a circular , either through protrusion or compression. In protrusion, or endolabial rounding, the extend forward, forming a pursed configuration that exposes the inner surfaces of the , while compression, or exolabial rounding, narrows the lip opening by drawing the corners inward without significant forward extension, emphasizing the outer lip surfaces. This muscular action, centered on the orbicularis oris—a complex fiber network encircling the —facilitates the precise control needed for rounded production, such as in or . The production of roundedness interacts closely with tongue positioning, as it commonly co-occurs with back vowels like and , where the tongue body retracts to enlarge the front cavity, or front vowels like and [ø] in languages such as French, altering the overall oral through coupled and gestures. This interaction can involve biomechanical trade-offs, such as reduced tongue raising compensated by increased protrusion to maintain perceptual contrasts, particularly for high back rounded vowels. position further modulates these gestures, with a lowered potentially enhancing lip mobility and tension for more pronounced rounding. Degrees of rounding vary in intensity, from strong full protrusion that maximizes lip extension and aperture narrowing, to weaker partial with minimal compression or tension, influenced by speaker-specific like lip elasticity and habitual postures. These variations are not uniform across individuals or languages, allowing for gradient realizations where, for instance, slight orbicularis activation produces subtle in mid vowels compared to the robust gestures in high vowels. Visually, protrusion reveals the moist inner mucosa, contrasting with compression's emphasis on the drier outer , while unrounded vowels feature lax or spread lips with neutral or retracted corners, lacking the constricted .

Acoustic Properties

Rounded vowels exhibit distinct acoustic properties, most notably a systematic lowering of the second frequency (F2), which serves as a primary auditory cue for . This effect stems from lip protrusion, which lengthens the front cavity of the vocal tract, thereby reducing the resonance frequency of F2. Empirical measurements indicate that F2 typically decreases by 200-500 Hz in rounded vowels compared to their unrounded counterparts with equivalent configurations, such as in front high vowels like versus . The perturbation in F2 due to lip rounding can be approximated using principles from acoustic theory as ΔF2≈−c2L⋅k,\Delta F_2 \approx -\frac{c}{2L} \cdot k, where cc is the (approximately 350 m/s), LL is the effective vocal tract , and kk represents the lip rounding factor accounting for the additional lengthening (typically 0.1-0.3 for moderate protrusion). While this provides a theoretical framework based on quarter-wave approximations, practical analyses rely on spectrographic data to quantify these shifts, confirming the lowering across various contexts. Perceptually, listeners identify rounding through the reduced F2 in the acoustic signal, supplemented by visual cues from lip protrusion. Audiovisual integration plays a key role, as visible lip movements increase the probability of perceiving a vowel as rounded by about 30% compared to audio-alone conditions, highlighting the multimodal nature of speech perception. Differences in articulation lead to variations in higher ; for example, compressed rounding, characterized by a narrower without strong protrusion, often results in a relatively higher third (F3) due to the constricted outlet altering patterns. Spectrographic studies support this, showing F3 elevations of 200-400 Hz in compressed versus protruded configurations for the same quality.

Typology of Rounding

Protruded Rounding

Protruded rounding, also known as endolabial rounding, is a subtype of rounding in which the corners of the lips are drawn inward toward the center, resulting in a pouting action that pushes the lips forward to form a tube-like extension with the inner surfaces exposed. This mechanism primarily involves the contraction of the to advance the lips, creating a narrowed and elongated oral cavity that modifies the vowel's resonance characteristics. It is the predominant form of rounding for back vowels, such as /u/ and /o/, where the protrusion helps to lower the second frequency (F2), contributing to the perceptual distinctiveness of these sounds. This type of rounding is widely distributed across , where it is consistently associated with back rounded s. For instance, in English, the /uː/ in words like "" is articulated with protruded lip , enhancing the vowel's backness and height through forward lip advancement. Similar patterns occur in other languages, such as German /u/ and French /u/, where protruded supports the acoustic lowering effect typical of posterior vowel positions. Articulatorily, protruded rounding involves greater horizontal and vertical lip advancement compared to other rounding types, often resulting in noticeable forward lip advancement, though this varies by speaker and language. It is frequently paired with a centralized or retracted position, particularly in dialects where vowel fronting interacts with lip posture, such as certain varieties of /u/. This configuration exposes the inner mucosa of the , distinguishing it from configurations that emphasize lateral compression. Phonetically, protruded rounding is represented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) by symbols like for the close back rounded vowel, with advanced variants notated as [u̟] to indicate additional lip or tongue fronting. Historically, this rounding has played a role in vowel shifts, such as the Great Vowel Shift in English, where the Middle English high back vowel /u/ retained and reinforced its protruded lip articulation during the transition to Modern English /uː/, preserving its rounded quality amid changes in tongue height and tension.

Compressed Rounding

Compressed rounding refers to a subtype of lip in which the lips are drawn together laterally by tension, forming a narrow, slit-like aperture without significant forward protrusion. This mechanism involves the contraction of the to compress the lip margins horizontally, exposing the outer lip surfaces while concealing the inner ones, which contrasts with the more tubular pouting in protruded rounding. It is most commonly associated with front rounded vowels, such as those transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as (close front rounded) and [ø] (mid front rounded), where the lip configuration supports the tongue's forward and high or mid position. While compressed rounding is the most common for front rounded vowels, a few languages articulate them with protruded rounding. Front rounded vowels, which are typically articulated with compressed , occur in only about 6.6% of languages, according to the World Atlas of Language Structures; it is particularly prominent in like Swedish, Norwegian, and German, as well as some such as French. In Scandinavian languages, it distinguishes certain vowel contrasts, for example, the long /yː/ in Swedish "syskon" (siblings), articulated with compressed lips to maintain the front tongue posture. Acoustically, this lip configuration results in a higher third (F3) frequency compared to protruded , due to the slit-like acting as a less efficient for lower frequencies. Articulatorily, compressed rounding involves minimal forward lip displacement, relying more on lateral tension than protrusion to achieve ; this engages greater activity in the buccinator and orbicularis oris muscles to flatten and compress the cheeks and lips against the teeth. Transitional forms may combine elements of compression and protrusion, especially in coarticulation with adjacent sounds. In some cases, it co-occurs with slight protrusion in diachronic shifts, but pure compression predominates in canonical front rounded vowels. Phonetically, the IPA does not have official diacritics to distinguish compressed from protruded , though some phonetic descriptions use notations or specify the type in text. Non-native listeners often confuse compressed front rounded vowels with protruded variants or unrounded front vowels. Historically, compressed in evolved from unrounded front vowels via i-umlaut processes, where lip rounding from original back vowels was retained but adapted to the front articulation.

Unroundedness

Spread Configuration

In the spread configuration, the lips are actively drawn apart at the corners, primarily through contraction of the zygomaticus major, buccinator, and muscles, which pull the mouth edges laterally and slightly upward to widen the oral . This posture stretches the lips thinly, resembling a subtle , while the remains relaxed, avoiding any constriction. Articulatorily, this results in a lateral spread of the lips, enhancing the horizontal opening without significantly altering vertical lip separation. In contrast to rounded configurations, spreading increases the second (F2) frequency, contributing to a brighter, more fronted timbre. This lip position is the standard articulatory setting for high and mid front unrounded s, such as /i/ and /e/, across most languages, where it supports the perceptual clarity of these s by amplifying their inherent frontness. For instance, in English, the in "beat" (/i/) and "bet" (/e/) typically involves spread lips, enhancing the 's brightness in auditory . The configuration occurs less actively in lax variants, such as /ɪ/, where spreading may be reduced. Phonetically, the spread configuration serves as the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) default for unrounded vowels, particularly front ones, symbolizing the absence of lip protrusion or compression without needing additional diacritics. It has shown historical persistence in vowel systems that lack rounding contrasts for front vowels, as seen in Spanish, where /i/ and /e/ remain consistently unrounded, preserving a five-vowel inventory without labial differentiation in the front region. This stability underscores its role in maintaining perceptual distinctions in languages avoiding rounded front vowels.

Neutral Configuration

The neutral configuration refers to the relaxed, rest position of the lips during vowel articulation, where the lips are neither protruded to form a rounded aperture nor actively spread at the corners, resulting in a natural parting with an opening similar to that observed in the production of the schwa vowel /ə/. This position represents the default state for unrounded vowels in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), where no diacritic is required to indicate the absence of lip rounding, unlike rounded vowels which may employ modifiers such as the right-hook diacritic. While typically neutral, slight variations in lip position may occur in some languages or dialects for central vowels. This configuration commonly occurs in and in reduced syllables across languages, such as the English /ʌ/ in "," where the lips maintain a neutral posture without tension. Articulatorily, the neutral configuration requires minimal activity from the , particularly the orbicularis oris responsible for lip pursing and the zygomaticus major for spreading, allowing the lips to part naturally along their midline without deliberate constriction or extension. This relaxed posture facilitates smooth coarticulatory transitions to adjacent sounds involving protrusion or spreading, minimizing articulatory effort in . Phonetically, the neutral configuration contributes to perceptual neutrality in systems like , where unrounded often function as non-participating elements, avoiding lip gestures that could trigger or propagate rounding features across morphemes. This neutrality enhances the distinctiveness of patterns by preserving the core vocalic identity without secondary labial modifications.

Secondary Features

Labialization

refers to a in which a is produced with simultaneous lip , typically involving protrusion of the , alongside its primary . This feature modifies the consonant's articulatory and acoustic properties without altering the main , as exemplified by the labialized velar stop [kʷ], where the raises to the velum while the round. In phonetic terms, adds a labial component that can range from subtle to more pronounced protrusion, distinguishing it from primary lip articulations like bilabials. The mechanism of involves a coordinated executed simultaneously with the primary consonantal , often resulting in a co-articulated . This secondary can manifest as a phonetic driven by coarticulation with neighboring rounded vowels or as a phonemic contrast that serves to differentiate words in certain languages. For instance, in such as , is phonemically contrastive, particularly on dorsal consonants, where plain and labialized forms like /k/ versus /kʷ/ can alter meaning, as in /kʷa/ "moving backwards." Across languages, the lowers the second frequency acoustically, enhancing the perceptual link to nearby rounded vowels. Labialization most frequently occurs on velar and uvular consonants, such as [kʷ] or [qʷ], due to the compatibility of back tongue positions with lip protrusion, though it appears on other places like alveolars in [tʷ]. The intensity varies from weak, gradient coarticulation—seen phonetically in English words like "queen" [kʷiːn], where the velar anticipates a following /w/—to robust phonemic oppositions in Northwest Pacific languages, including Salishan, where entire series of labialized obstruents and sonorants exist. Degrees of labialization thus span phonetic assimilation effects to full-fledged segmental contrasts, with dorsal sites predominating in typological surveys. In the International Phonetic Alphabet, is transcribed using the superscript ʷ , placed after the base symbol to indicate the secondary , as in [tʷ] or [sʷ]. Historically, many labialized consonants arise through the assimilation and shift of from adjacent s, a process observed in diverse families; for example, in Proto-Indo-European, the labiovelar series like *kʷ is reconstructed as involving secondary , likely developing from earlier velar + labial glide sequences (*kw) influenced by contexts. This diachronic pathway underscores 's role in , where features transfer to preceding consonants, as documented in Northwest Caucasian and .

Phonological Interactions

Vowel harmony is a phonological process in which the feature [round] spreads across syllables within a word, often constrained by vowel height or backness. In Turkish, rounding harmony applies to high vowels in suffixes, such that a rounded stem vowel triggers rounding in following high suffix vowels, as in kol-u 'arm-ACC' versus kal-ı 'shore-ACC', while non-high vowels remain unrounded. This spreading is progressive and limited to high vowels, reflecting a typology where same-height harmony predominates in 9 out of 13 rounding harmony systems surveyed across 33 languages. Assimilation rules involving rounding can be progressive or regressive, altering a vowel's rounding to match a neighboring one across intervening consonants. In Athabaskan languages like Yukon Deg Xinag, progressive rounding assimilation changes schwa /ə/ to [ʊ] before a rounded vowel (/ʊ/ or /o/) separated by a uvular or laryngeal consonant, as in /kəhon/ realized as [kʊhon] 'he/she is eating'. Regressive assimilation, where a vowel anticipates the rounding of a following one, is less common but occurs in systems like some Uralic languages, though often blocked by intervening obstruents. Phonemic contrasts between rounded and unrounded vowels form binary oppositions in many inventories, such as in Finnish where /e/ contrasts with /ø/. Implicational universals govern these contrasts: rounded front vowels are rarer globally than rounded back vowels, with front vowels typically unrounded and non-low back vowels typically rounded, as evidenced in cross-linguistic surveys of over 100 languages. Theoretical models represent [round] within feature geometry as a dependent under the labial or dorsal node, allowing it to spread independently of height features in harmony rules, as proposed in analyses of vowel place structure. In Optimality Theory, constraints like AGREE([round]) penalize adjacent disagreeing vowels, driving spreading while higher-ranked faithfulness constraints like IDENT([round]) block it in non-harmonic contexts, accounting for typological variations in rounding propagation.

Language Examples

English

In Standard American English and (), the back vowels /u/, /ʊ/, /o/, and /ɔ/ are realized with protruded lip , while the front and /i/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/, /æ/, /ʌ/, and the low back vowel /ɑ/ remain unrounded. This pattern aligns with a general typological tendency in English where is associated primarily with positions, contributing to the language's asymmetric vowel inventory. Exceptions occur in certain dialects, such as scattered realizations of the /y/ in conservative or regional varieties, though these are not phonemically contrastive in standard forms. Dialectal variations introduce notable deviations from this standard pattern. In the Geordie dialect of northeastern , the NURSE vowel /ɜː/ is often fronted and rounded to [ø̌] or a similar centralized front rounded quality, particularly among middle-class speakers, reflecting a historical merger with elements of the THOUGHT vowel under rhotic influences. Similarly, in English, the NURSE (e.g., "nurse," "her") is often realized as a rounded [œː], a front rounded influenced by substrate effects from . These regional traits highlight how English rounding can extend to non-back positions in contact-influenced varieties. Historically, English lost front rounded vowels through unrounding processes during the transition from Old to Middle English. The Old English close front rounded /y/ and /yː/ (as in "cyning" [ˈkynɪŋ] 'king') unrounded to /ɪ/ and /iː/ by the early Middle English period, eliminating a phonemic contrast present in related Germanic languages and reshaping the vowel system toward unrounded fronts. In modern English, secondary rounding appears in diphthongs like /aʊ/ (as in "house"), where the initial low back transitions to a near-close back rounded [ʊ], involving progressive lip protrusion as a coarticulatory feature rather than primary rounding. Phonologically, rounding in English is largely allophonic for certain vowels and lacks phonemic front-rounded contrasts. For instance, the near-close back /ʊ/ (as in "book") exhibits variable lip that increases in proximity to labial consonants (e.g., more protruded before /p/ or /b/), serving as a contextual assimilation rather than a . Overall, English maintains no minimal pairs distinguishing front rounded from unrounded vowels, underscoring rounding's role as a non-contrastive tied to backness and adjacency.

Cross-Linguistic Variation

In Romance and , roundedness often manifests in front rounded contrasts, distinguishing them from unrounded counterparts. For instance, French employs front rounded vowels such as /y/ (as in tu) and /ø/ (as in peu), which contrast with unrounded /i/ and /e/, creating a system where rounding adds perceptual distinctiveness to front height distinctions. This pattern arose historically from the fronting of back rounded vowels while retaining lip protrusion. In contrast, German front rounded vowels like /yː/ and /øː/ are typically articulated with compressed rounding, where the lips are pressed together laterally rather than protruded, enhancing the acoustic front cavity and differentiating them from English approximations. This compression is a hallmark of Germanic front , contributing to tighter contrasts. Asian languages frequently exhibit back rounding contrasts and systems governed by roundedness. Vietnamese features a central unrounded high /ɨ/ (as in mừ), contrasting with the back rounded /u/ (as in mu), where the absence of rounding in /ɨ/ creates a neutral central position amid otherwise front or back , all unrounded except for back series. Turkish demonstrates alongside backness harmony, requiring suffixes to match the roundedness of stem ; for example, high rounded like /u/ or /y/ trigger rounded suffixes (e.g., ev-ler unrounded vs. gül-ler rounded), enforcing palatal and labial assimilation across morpheme boundaries. Similarly, Uyghur includes , where any rounded (/u, y, o, ø/) in the root propagates rounding to following high in suffixes, though low remain neutral, reflecting an asymmetric system tied to height. Austronesian and Amerindian languages often display rare or absent , underscoring typological variation. Alekano, an Austronesian language of , possesses only five unrounded vowels (/i, ɯ, e, ɤ, ɑ/), lacking any phonemic lip , which is exceptional as most Austronesian systems include at least back for /u/. In Amerindian languages, Quechua exhibits limited , primarily in back vowels like /o/ and /u/, with some dialects showing labial effects where labial consonants influence adjacent vowel , though full is absent. Cross-linguistically, typological gaps reveal universals in roundedness distribution: no known features only rounded vowels, as every phonological system includes at least one unrounded to maintain perceptual balance in the vowel space. An implicational universal holds that the presence of a front rounded (e.g., /y/) implies the existence of a back rounded of similar height (e.g., /u/), ensuring systematic coverage of the roundedness dimension. Recent studies on endangered languages document ongoing rounding loss, particularly in Salishan dialects. In Lekwungen (a Northern Straits Salish language), acoustic analyses of fluent but elderly speakers reveal quality shifts, including reduced lip on historical back vowels due to and contact with English, leading to mergers toward unrounded central realizations in some idiolects. This pattern, observed in 2020s documentation efforts, highlights how accelerates simplification of contrasts in polysynthetic systems like Salishan, where vowels were traditionally few and often schwa-dominated.

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